Town to target 11 roads with Chapter 90 funds

Town to target 11 roads with Chapter 90 funds

Eryn Dion
News Staff Writer

TEMPLETON — Highway Superintendent Francis “Bud” Chase revealed his much-anticipated plans for the town’s Chapter 90 funds to the Board of Selectmen Monday night with  more than $550,000 slated for extensive roadwork in the Baldwinville section of town.

“I plan to rebuild 11 streets and roads with Chapter 90 funds this construction season,” Mr. Chase told the board, while also explaining that his list was just a tentative draft and there were still plenty of options.

The current plan includes binder and top for 16,255 feet, or just over 42,000 square yards of road focused mostly in Baldwinville, although Orchard Lane in East Templeton may also be targeted.

Eleven streets were named in the list, with many of them grouped together to streamline the process and make work easier for contractors.


The longest project by far is 6,625 feet of Otter River Road stretching from Depot Road to Baldwinville Road by Templeton Center.

The paving will skip over the sections where the road crosses over Route 2, but will include the battered “four corners” area where water runoff has left large potholes and ditches for unsuspecting motorists.

“That lower stretch of Otter River Road is long overdue,” Mr. Chase commented.

While the road is in need of new top and binder, Mr. Chase explained that paving would not address the drainage issues currently plaguing the road and causing hazardous conditions.

The new coating would hold for a few years, but the road would start to fail again without a drainage system installed.

Presently, the drainage system is outside of the project’s budget; however Mr. Chase said that he could forgo a top coat on some of the less-traveled roads to stretch the funds out and pay for drainage on Otter River Road to solve the problem. He also mentioned that his numbers did not include the fiscal year 2015 Chapter 90 allotment, which has not yet been released by the Legislature. That amount could total over $300,000 and if released in time, could conceivable pay for the drainage system.

Walnut Street, which Mr. Chase dubbed “one of the worst streets in town,” is also featured on the list, grouped with nearby Winchester, Holman, and Harris streets.

The highway superintendent described the road as “completely destroyed” and dedicated $64,000 to its repair.

Gravel sections of Lord Road and Lamont Street will be paved this summer and Mountain View, Reservoir, and Williams streets are also in line for improvements. Overall, Mr. Chase’s calculations have the entire project totaling $553,552, leaving just over $20,000 left in the town’s Chapter 90 account.

He said he would make adjustments to some expenses and return to the board with an estimated cost for the Otter River Road drainage system. Mr. Chase also noted that he hopes to begin construction as soon as possible.